Veterans Day tradition at Veterans' Park in Deming

DEMING – Between all the repetitive speeches and quotes that aim to commemorate Veterans Day, Chadwick Troyer says the real meaning behind the holiday gets lost. Troyer, a 22-year veteran from the U.S. Navy, served as a guest speaker during the Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans' Park on Sunday.

Local veterans across all military branches dedicated the ceremony to honor and recognize those who have given their lives to serve the country and its people.

The 30-minute ceremony was opened by a procession drill conducted by Deming High School’s Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps. The Color Guard officers marched to the center of the park and up the flags went.

“What we hear often, we begin to take for granted and eventually ignored. Such seems to be the case with Veterans Day, Memorial Day or any other holiday for that matter,” Troyer said. “But hopefully this will serve to inspire you to think about it in a new way by considering what it exactly means to be a veteran.”

Troyer expressed the meaning of the word veteran but said its definition does not give credit to the whole story and defined that a veteran is one who has had the intestinal fortitude to sign his or her life away.

Troyer served as a E-8 Senior Chief – retired in 2000 – and spent 18 years aboard the USS Princeton and USS Tripoli during Operation Desert Storm. During the operation, one of Troyer’s ships stuck some mines.

Troyer vividly illustrated the realities of what he and his fellow comrades have experienced while serving. “These are the stakes, yet there are people who are willing to do it, and if asked, they’d go and do it again in a heartbeat.”

Some of those people were in attendance. Anthems of each military branch were played after Troyer’s address and veterans stood up accordingly from the stands.

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John Denning, 16, A junior at Deming High School and commander of DHS Color Guard unrolls the Deming High ROTC flag.(Photo: Xchelzin Peña - Deming Headlight)

Earlier during the ceremony, the National Anthem was performed by Jessica Juarez Rios and was followed by Deming Mayor Benny Jasso. Mayor Jasso and city officials set forth a proclamation in honor of the holiday.

“Their heroism on parallel and dedication to God and country is unforgettable,” Jasso stated. “Now, therefore, be a proclaim on November 11, 2018 be observed as Veteran’s Day in the city of Deming in remembrance and in honor of the veterans who gave their lives in service of our country.”

Matthew Seltzer and daughters Rebecca and Maria sang America the Beautiful. Matthew then performed Echo Taps, a bugle call usually conducted at flag ceremonies and sometimes at military funerals.

“So, what kind of person can love you so much that they will die for you without having met you?” Troyer asked. “Who can love their country so much that they will die for her and the principles she stands for?”

Deming Mayor Benny Jasso speaks in front of Veterans Day ceremony attendees and announces that a proclamation has been made in honor of Veterans Day and to remember those who have sacrificed their lives by serving their country.(Photo: Xchelzin Peña - Deming Headlight)